In 1938 The American Fracture Association had its inception when five surgeons, who were interested in the treatment of fractures, particularly applied to early ambulation of fracture patients by using the Roger Anderson equipment, met in Macomb, Illinois. The doctors who attended the first meeting were H. W. Wellmerling, MD of Bloomington, Illinois; Homer D. Junkin, MD of Paris, Illinois; A.H. Diehr, MD of St. Louis, Missouri; William Johnston, MD of Galesburg, Illinois, and Charles P. Blair, MD of Monmouth, Illinois.
These informal gatherings continued until 1941 when formal organization was carried out, adopting the name, The Ambulatory Fracture Association.
In January of 1952, the name of the Organization was changed to its present name, The American Fracture Association. The scope and interest was enlarged to include all forms of fracture treatment.
In 1960, the American Fracture Association took its entire meeting to Mexico City, Mexico. This was the first time that a medical group had conducted its entire meeting outside the continental United States, a fact attested to in a letter from the President of the United States, Dwight D. Eisenhower, to the Association hailing and acclaiming their “Good Neighbor” act. The growth of understanding, friendship, and cooperation by orthopedists in the Latin American Countries and Canada has been most gratifying.